Shoe and gaiter



PATENTOFFICE. `N

ALEXANDER HAY, E PHILADELPHIA, PENNsYLvAiALLQ, g r i SHOE AND GAITER.

specification of Letters ratentNo. 26,493, dated, Denibrgo, ,1359, I

To all whom 'tt may concern: a H

Beit known that I, ALEXANDER HAY, of the city of Philadelphia and` State of Penn sylvania, have invented a new` and Improved Mode `of Making Shoes and Gaiters so` as to Dispense `with Strings in Securing `Them on the Feet; `and I do declare the following is an exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and letters of reference marked thereon; a

In order to show distinctly the nature of my improvement, it is necessary to refer particularly to the manner `in which shoes and gaiters are now made.

Ladies gaiters are eithermade open on the sides and laced up, the material of which' the shoe ismade being split down the side, with holes on each side of the opening for the strings, or they are made open on top, and a piece of the saine material `of which the gaiter is made, is sewedto one of the quarters of the gaiter, and made to button over on the other quarter, in: order to cover the instep. This latter mode dispenses with strings but it is objectionable, because `if it lfits neatly, it is exceedingly dificult to button, `and if the feet swell at all, which` with many persons frequently occurs, they Icannot button them at all, and this results from their covering the instep, or placing the fas tenings for the gaiter to the same material of which the shoe` or gaiter is made, whichis not suiiiciently elastic. Besides if the shoe is made of soft calf skin or kid, the button holes soon stretch from use, and become very unsightly, and this often when the shoes are but little worn. Shoes are also often split down on top over the instep, and the sides drawn together with strings, or the quarters of shoes are tied over the instep.

It is apparent to all persons of observation that shoe strings are a source of great annoyance. However carefully tied, they are liable to become untied, and present a slovenly appearance. They get into hard knots, which it is difficult to untie, and readily wear out. And these objections, though apparently trifling, cause daily the sale of a large number of boots, at more than twice the cost of shoes, for no other reason than the annoyance of shoe strings. I have seen so many persons made to buy boots from this consideration of getting rid of strings, that it would be a great gain to dispense with them.

I am aware that many attempts have been made to secure shoes to the feet without strings' andfto `someextent have beenfintro-` y duced into use. But where bucklesgandblut-1` tons have been used the points `.ofl fastening` have always as far@ asl know been madeof` the `same material ,with theshoe or; gaiter;` that is if the shoe beumade, of lea-ther the but- 5 tons are sewed to the leather `on one; side,`and{ f the button holesworked` inhthe leathervoiithe` reasons,iand cannot be made` lto answerafas well asthey would iff the points oflfastening] l other side, which istobjectionable :forimany` l were more elastic than; the@ :leather` or lasting of whichV the shoetisxmade.

The use of boots has been superseded greater extentby"` Congress gaitersfthan by their popularity. Insthese gaitersyelastic v rubber cloth gores arewinserted on each` side,` i

and stitchedl to the' leatherll :of whichthe gaiter `is made;` A `gaiter mthusi` maldeis formed to fit theanklef tight,` and it mustldo` A 3 this because in putting onatfhe `gaiter,therubber gores on each side arel greatly stretched, far more so than theytarewhen thegaiteris" on the foot, indeedwh fithe" gaiter'isonwthe L foot, it should `it lthefankletsnugly; without,` f i y. the rubber being stretched at al-lfandif the l a, Congress gaiter couldbegotten onfthe footy;` l A: scribed, then it wouldbe perfectand no ini;-` H a provement` could madefuponit;` `,But the y. l necessity for this great stretchingfof therub` 1 i ber gores in order to get on thegaiter, ren-f y l without the great stretching of the gores delders it necessary to make,the` gaiter fitlthe ankle tight; Sothat atflrstttheyybind,thej ankle uncomfortably and oftensomuchiasto be painful. `The stretchingtof the gores re?` lieves this after a time `fori they lose inlpart` y,

10Q larged, but in doing,this,the gaiter hasflost; y 1g its shape, andno longer fits close aroundthe their elasticity` and become permanently en-` ankle.` So also win ordento ldispensellwith strings, shoes have been made by insertingja t a piece of rubberoven the` instep, stitched ally around to the leather. But Ihere the samen objection applies "as totheCongressgaiter.`

From constant stretchingin getting the shoe on and off, the rubber clothloses partite" `11o i. suiiciently, andthe shoe feels tothe wearer i )l elasticity, ceases to bind `across the `instep as when untied.

t2 'aa/193 Td remedy these defets and at the same time dispense with strings, I insert in my shoes or gaiters, at the points Where they are to be fastened, pieces of elastic rubber cloth, Which are not sewed on to the leather all around as in the Congress gaiter, or the shoe described With the rubber stitched in over the instep, but it is seWed to the leather only on one side, for instance, if the gaiter be split down the side as they are now When they are fastenedrby lacing, I insert a piece of rubber cloth and sew it to one side of the slit opening, and lap it slightly on the other to be secured With hooks and eyes or small buttons, or you may insert the rubber on each side of the opening, and let it meet or lap .in the center to be secured, the object being to use the elasticity of the rubber for the greater facility of fastening the gaiter Whether by hooks and eyes, or by buttons. In a gaiter so constructed, if the foot swells,

' the rubber accommodates it; yet in puttinO` on the gaiter, the rubber is not at ail stretched but when the gater is on the foot, the elasticity of the rubber cloth increases the facility of fastening it, and just binds sufiiciently to keep secured the hooks and eyes or buttons or fastenings used. There being no occasion for much stretching of the rubber cloth only enough to aid in fastening the gaiter, it will not permanently yield or get out of shape. It has therefore the advantages Which the Congress gaiter has, if it could be gotten on Without stretching the gores. The same principle is applicable to all shoes and gaiters however made; it is to attach to the shoe or gaiter at the points of fastening, elastic rubber cloth, either on both sides, when a'portion of the fastenings Would be attached to each piece of rubber, or on one side When a part of the fastening Would be attached to the rubber, and the corresponding part t'o' the leather o'r mate` rial of Which the shoes are made. Thus the hooks Would be placed on one side and the eyes on the other or the buttons on one side, and the corresponding holes on the other.

Figure l, represents two gaiters split down the sides, as they now are When secured by lacing. A, represents one in Which the rubber is inserted on each side of the opening, and the fastenings are attached to each piece of rubber. B, represents the same form of gaiter Where a single piece of rubber is inserted and the fastenings are attached to the rubber and to the material of which thegaiter is made.

Fig. 2, represents a gaiter buttoning over the instep With the rubber covering the instep sewed to the leather on one side, and buttoned to it on thel other.

Fig. 3, represents a split down over the instep With the rubber inserted on each side of the opening, and secured in the middle.

I do not propose any change in the form of the shoes or gaiters as generally made, nor do I claim fastening the same With hooks and eyes or buttons or buckles, for this does not constitute my invention, but

W'hat I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

Inserting in the shoe or gaiter at the points Where it is to be fastened, a piece or pieces of elastic rubber cloth for the purpose of fastening the shoe or gaiter With hooks and eyes or buttons or buckles, substantially as described and thereby dispensing With shoe strings.

ALEXANDER HAY.

Witnesses:

DAVID G. BARNITZ, WILLIAM C. PECKHAM. 

